Multiunit cup dispenser



April 28, 1942.

Filed April 28, 1941 3 Shea-Sheet 1 X M M T 5 W rIIIIIIIII!IIlIIl/A4/ a K illili! c... k mm mm m M n w m a fi w QM mm mm \N R Q v n m an m N 4|; o I o M. R \v Q 4 w m R Q @N 27%.... E E n 3: 1 .LL N R Q N w T. zfi mm is w n m N m m ATTORNEYS c. B. TERRY 2,281,466

MULTIUNIT CUP DISPENSER April 28, 1942.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Filed April 28, 1941 C L IFF'ORD TE/PRK 4;. ATToRNEKs April 28, 1942. C RY 2,281,466

MULTIUNIT CUP DiSPENSER Filed April 28, 1941 3 Sheets-Shet 3 C'z. IFFORD 15f TE /eh XZTTORJVW Patented Apr. 23, 1942 MULTHJNIT CUP DISPENSER Clifford B. Tcrry,- Flushing, N. Y., assignor to Lily-Tulip Cup Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 28, 1941, Serial No. 390,703

This invention relates to apparatus for disv '7 Claims.

pensing flanged paper cups or the like articles. More specifically, the invention relates to such apparatus for accommodating a plurality of stacks of said cups or the like articles to be dispensed.

Devices are well known for dispensing such paper cups and the like one at a time from a stack of nested articles; and devices are also well known for accommodating a plurality of stacks of nested articles and for successively dispensing articles from said stacks. In one type of such known device a single dispensing mechanism is employed and successive stacks are brought into register with such single dispensing mechanism; while in other types individual dispensing mecham'sms are employed for respective stacks, one such mechanism of the latter type forming the subject-matter of Albert F. Miller application Serial No. 316.293, filed January 30, 1940, and issued July 8, 1941, as Patent No. 2,248,479. Such plural stack dispensing devices are in wide demand and are found especially desirable in automatic coin-controlled beverage dispensing machines in order to avoid too frequent replenishment of the supply of cups.

The present invention is in the nature of an improvement over the subject-matter of the said copending Miller application and results in a device which is far more economical to manufacture, is far less complicated and therefore more dependable and accurate in operation and requires less servicing upkeep. These features are of particular advantage in connection with said automatic beverage dispensing machines where a positive and dependable dispensing of the cups is essential and where the device is not easily accessible for adjustment or servicing. Furthermore with a rotatable or turret device such as that of said copending application, the shape and size of the device presents a limitation as to the number of stacks and the size of the cups which may be used; whereas with the present invention the structure lends itself to the use of a plurality of stacks which may be extended to a relatively large number in a relatively compact form and in which the size of the cups employed is not so critical. Furthermore, the present invention is equally adaptable to manual or power operation.

Various further and more specific objects, features and advantages will clearly appear from the detailed description given below, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and illustrate by way of example preferred forms of the invention. The invention consists in such novel features, arrangements and combinations of parts as may be shown and described in connection with the apparatus herein disclosed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in the various views Fig, 1 is a side elevation showing an embodiment of the invention with certain parts broken away to more clearly illustrate details of construction;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the actuating parts in a different position of operation;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 showing certain parts broken away to illustrate the mechanism;

Fi 4 is a vertical end elevation taken at 4-4 of Fig. 1 with certain of the parts shown in section to illustrate the mechanism-of the first dispensing unit;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken at 5-5 of Fig. 1 showing the relative position of certain parts corresponding to the second dispensing unit;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the similar parts corresponding to the third dispensing unit;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken at l-l of Fig. 1 showing certain features of the driving mechanism common to all of the dispensin units;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation showing a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation showing an embodiment of Fig. 1 in its completely assembled condition with the stacks of cups and the common delivery conduit for depositing the cups at a central station;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a portion of the device of Fig. 1 showing the adaptation of a power drive to the mechanism;

Fig 11 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 10.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, the main frame of the device comprises a base plate i to which are attached a plurality of dispenser units designated in general as 2, 3 and 4, which in the present embodiment comprise separately made dispenser units integrally secured to the base i and arranged in a longitudinal series, such as in a straight line. The dispenser units per se may be of any Well-known suitable type and the construction of which is not claimed herein; the particular dispenser units herein disclosed being described and claimed in the copending application of James D. Reifsnyder and Albert F. Miller, Serial No. 316,294, filed January 30, 1940. Only so much of the dispenser units will be described in. general as is necessary to facilitate an understanding of the present invention.

The dispenser units each comprises (Fig. 4) an upper sleeve such as 5 in which is seated a glass tube such as 6 for holding the stack of nested cups and a lower sleeve 1 which passes through a corresponding opening in the plate I and extends downwardly below said plate. Intermediate the sleeves 5 and I is positioned a housing portion 8 (which in the present embodiment are separately made for convenience) within which are disposed a plurality of cam members such as 9 at spaced points around the periphery of the lowermost cup of the stack for normally supporting the stack and for individually separating the lowermost cup during the dispensing operation. Each of these cam members is rotatably mounted on a corresponding vertically extending shaft such as I suitably journalled in the housing 8. Pinion gears such as II are respectively secured to or provided on the shafts ID in driven engagement with a common ring gear I2. The above described structure of the dispenser unit thereby provides a magazine and dispensing mechanism which is identical in each of the dispenser units 2, 3 and 4.

To the actuating ring gear I2 of each of said dispensing mechanisms I have rigidly secured a downwardly extending actuating pin; and for purposes of describing the cycle of operation the respective pins for the units 2, 3 and 4 will be designated as I3, I4 and I5 (see also Fig. 1).

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1; supporting journal blocks I6 and I! are rigidly secured to the underside of plate I and support an actuating shaft I8 journalled therein for rotary and reciprocable movement; said shaft being disposed lengthwise of the dispenser units and in proximity to the actuating pins I3, I4 and I5. Intermediate its ends the shaft I8 passes through and is preferably journalled in a block I9 and a bracket which are similarly rigidly attached to the underside of plate I. A stop 2| is rigidly fixed to the shaft intermediate the block I9 and the bracket 20 and a helical compression spring 22 surrounds the shaft and is disposed between the stop 2I and the bracket 26; thereby serving to urge the shaft to the left, the end of the shaft extending outwardly beyondthe journal I1 being provided with a stop 23 to limit the left-hand movement of the shaft.

Intermediate the journal blocks I6I 9 a threeprong star wheel 24 is rigidly fixed to the shaft I8; and a fixed cam 25 is rigidly secured to the block I9 and is disposed in the path of movement of the star wheel 24; so that each time the shaft I8 is moved to the right, against the action of the spring 22 (as by means of the actuating handle 26) the shaft I8 is given the first part of a rotative increment of movement in a clockwise direction. In order to complete the said increment of movement of the shaft as it reciprocates to the left a star wheel 21 is fixed to the shaft so as to come into engagement with the cam portion 28 carried by the block I9 and preferably integrally formed with the cam portion.25. In the. inactive or neutral position of the mechanism (Fig. 1) the actuating pins I3, I4 and I5 are disposed in their left-hand position (Fig. 3) ready to be successively moved to the right in order to dispense cups from the respective stacks; the oscillation or stroke of the pins being limited by suitable arcuate grooves such as 29 formed in the housing such as 8. The following connecting means serve to sequentially drive the said pins from the shaft I8. Plate cams such as 30, 3| and 32 are rigidly secured to the shaft I8 in radial and longitudinal spaced relation with the face of the abutment portions or faces of the cams lying in planes respectively disposed to the left of the pins. The said abutment portions are equi-distantly radially spaced in accordance with the number of dispensing units employed (in the present instance being 120 apart, center to center) and the relative radial positions are clearly illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 respectively. A similar set of plate cams 33, 34 and 35 are similarly rigidly attached to the shaft [8 in radial and longitudinal spaced relation; the relative position of these parts being clearly illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, and the faces of these are positioned in respective vertical planes to the right of the pins I3, I4 and I5 in the inactive position illustrated in Fig. 1, a cover plate 35 is preferably provided and is secured as by screws such as 31 engaging the journal blocks I6, I! and I9 (see also Figs. 3 and 9).

Fig. 9 shows the stacks of cups in upright position within the magazine tubes such as 6 and shows a discharge conduit manifold comprising a curved branch 38, a stem 39 and a curved branch 40 providing three branches at the upper ends of the manifold conduit which are secured to the respective sleeves I (Fig. 4) whereby the cups dispensed from the respective sleeves each gravitate downwardly to the common outlet provided by the lower end of the stem 39, so that the successive cups are delivered at a common station as indicated.

In Figs. 10 and 11 I have shown a device of the character described adapted to be coactuated. In place of the handle button 26 (Fig. 9) I have shown a grooved sleeve 4| rigidly secured to the end of the reciprocable and rotatable shaft I8. Pins 42-43 are slida-bly engaged in the groove of sleeve 4I and are secured to the bifurcated end of the lever 44 whose lower end is pivoted at 45 to a supporting bracket 46 suitably secured to the frame of the device. The pin 43 extends outwardly from the lever 44 with its outer end positioned in a cam groove formed in a barrel cam 48 fixed to the shaft 49 suitably journalled with one end supported in the frame of the device. Upon one complete rotation of the shaft 49 (by any suitable source of power) the shaft I8 is given one complete reciprocation comparable to that produced by pushing inwardly on the handle 26 (Fig. 9). In the power driven embodiment of Figs. 10 and 11 the spring 22 is preferably omitted.

In the modified form of device illustrated in Fig. 8 the shaft 50 is rotatably journalled in the journal blocks I6, I! (in place of the shaft I8 shown in Fig. 1) and stop collars 5I52 are secured to the shaft to prevent axial movement thereof. The shaft 50 carries fixed thereto barrel cams 53, 54 and 55 in cooperative driving engagement with the respective pins I3, I4 and I5. The cam grooves are each provided so that the respective pin is moved to the right during approximately one-third of the revolution of the cam and is returned to its left-hand position during the remaining two-thirds of the cam rotation; one driving face of the cam therefore serving to move the pin in one direction and the other driving face serving to move the pin in the opposite direction. The cams are radially spaced equi-distantly so that each will come into driving operation at an equal portion of the complete rotation of the shaft 55 (in the present embodiment 120 apart). A driving spur gear 55 is suitably secured to the outwardly extending end of the shaft 53 in a cooperative driven engagement from a pinion 51 secured to a power shaft 53 suitably journalled with one end supported in a bracket 59 carried by the frame of the device. The driving ratio of the pinion 57 and spur gear 56 is 1:3, so that upon one complete rotation of the shaft 58 one-third of a revolution of the shaft 50 is effected; the parts .being so timed that each rotation of the shaft 58 causes the actuation of one of the dispenser units 2, 3 or 4 to thereby cause sequential actuation of the individual dispenser units upon each complete rotative cycle of the shaft 50.

Operation Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, with the parts as indicated in Fig. 1, and with a stack of cups disposed in each of the tubes 5, the operator presses the handle 28 inwardly, causing the cam plate 36 to move the pin 3 to the right to thereby cause a cup to be dispensed and (Fig. 9) to fall by gravity through the conduit 38 and out of the end of the conduit 39. During this movement the star wheel 2 engages the fixed cam 25 causing the shaft i8 to rotate in a clockwise direction, thereby movin the cam plate 35 out of longitudinal register with the pin 13 and causing the return cam plate 33 (see also Fig. 4) to move into the longitudinal alignment with the pin I3 and also causing the actuating cam plate 3! to move a part of the way toward but not quite into longitudinal alignment with the pin M of Fig. 5. If the plate 3! and pin it were brought into alignment on this forward stroke the plate the pin on the return stroke. The spring .22 moves the shaft back to neutral position, the cam plate 33 engaging the pin 53 to return it to the left and the star wheel 2'! and the cooperating fixed cam 28 complete the rotative movement of plate 3| to bring it into driving alignment with pin it, ready for the next dispensing movement. Upon the next dispensing movement the cam 3i engages the pin is, causing the dispensing of a cup from unit 3; the shaft is rotated a further step in the manner previously described and the cam 32 is brought just short of longitudinal register with the pin :5; the cam plate S is brought into return driving that as the shaft I8 moves to the left under the influence of spring 22 the pin I4 is reset; and upon said return movement of the shaft 18 the cam 32 and pin l5 are brought into final register. Similarly the next actuation of the device causes the cam plate 32 to drive the pin l5 so as to cause unit 4 to dispense a cup in the manner previously described, and reset the mechanism for the next actuating movement and thus complete the cycle of sequential operation of the units .2, 3 and 4 to successively discharge cups at the common discharge point (Fig. 9).

In the modified embodiment shown in Figs. 10 and 11 each actuating impulse of the common driving means to actuate a single dispensing unit is effected by one complete revolution of the shaft 49; and successive revolutions of said shaft eifect the successive discharge of cups from the individual dispensers as previously described above.

would strike the wrong side of position with the pin hi, so

In the modification shown in Fig. 8, when a cup is desired to be dispensed the shaft 58 is given one complete revolution, causing one-third of a revolution of the shaft 50, and with the parts as indicated in Fig. 8 the cam 53 moves the pin l3 as indicated by the arrow to thereby dispense a cup from the dispenser 2. During this movement the cam 54 completes the return of pin 54 to the left and sets it in position for the dispensing actuation upon the next increment of rotation of the shaft and the cam 55 returns the pin it part of the way to its initial position. Upon the next increment of movement of the shaft 50 the cam 54 similarly dispenses acup from the dispenser 3 and the cam 55 completes the setting of pin I5 for the next increment of operation which is similarly eITected by the cam 5-5, thus completing the complete cycle of operation.

Having thus described my invention with particularity with reference to the preferred embodiment of the same, and having referred to some of the possible modifications thereof, it will be obvious to those derstanding my invention, that other changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I aim in the appended claims to cover such changes and modifications as are within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for dispensing paper cups or the like articles, the combination of a plurality of relatively fixed dispenser units disposed in a longitudinal series, each of said respective units having a magazine for holding a supply of articles to be dispensed and mechanism for individually dispensing said articles therefrom, each of said individual dispensing mechanisms having a longitudinally reciprocable portion for effecting actuation thereof, a plurality of driving connections corresponding respectively to said reciprocable portions and constructed and arranged to impart reciprocal motion to said engageable portions for actuating said dispensing means, and

means common to said plurality of driving connections for actuating the same, said driving connections and common actuating means being so constructed and arranged that said dispenserunits are sequentially operated.

2. In a device for dispensing paper cups or the like artlcles, the combination of a plurality of reciprocable and lengthwise of said series and proximate to said of sequentially to actuated.

3. In a device for dispensing paper cups or the like articles, the combination of a plurality of skilled in the art after ununit having a reciprocable actuating portion, a shaft extending lengthwise of said series proximate to said actuating portions and rotatably and reciprocably journaled, abutments carried by said shaft and engageable with said actuating portions for imparting actuating motion to respective of said units upon reciprocation of said shaft, a star wheel member and a cooperating cam member, one of said members being fixed to and movable with said shaft and the other of said members being relatively fixed with respect to said shaft in the path of movement of said other member, said parts being so constructed and arranged that upon successive reciprocations of said shaft said respective mechanisms are sequentially actuated and said shaft is given corresponding increments of rotation to select the individual successive mechanisms in the sequence.

4. In a device for dispensing paper cups or the like articles, the combination of a plurality of relatively fixed dispenser units disposed in a series, each of said respective units having a magazine for holding a supply of articles to be dispensed and means for individually dispensing said articles therefrom, each unit having a reciprocable actuating pin, a reciprocable and rotatable shaft extending lengthwise of said series and proximate to said actuating pins, 2. first series of radially and longitudinally spaced cam plates carried by said posed adjacent said pins for imparting forward motion to respective of said pins upon each reciprocation of said shaft, a second series of radially and longitudinally spaced cam plates carried by said shaft and respectively disposed in paired relation to said first series of plates for returning said pins, a star wheel secured to said shaft for rotation and reciprocation therewith, a relatively fixed cam in the path of movement of said star wheel for effecting step by step rotation of said shaft upon each reciprocation thereof sequentially to select the individual dispenser actuated.

shaft and respectively dis- 5. In a device for dispensing paper cups or the like articles, the combination of a plurality of relatively fixed dispenser units disposed in a longitudinal series, each of said respective units having a magazine for holding a supply of articles to be dispensed and mechanism for individually dispensing said articles therefrom, a rotatable and reciprocable actuating shaft common to said series of units and extending lengthwise thereof, longitudinally and radially spaced abutments carried by said shaft for individually operating respective of said dispensing means upon reciprocation of said shaft, and means for effecting increments of rotation of said shaft, said parts being so constructed and arranged that said units are sequentially operated to thereby dispense individual cups successively from respective units at different stages in the rotative cycle of said shaft. 1

6. In a device for dispensing paper cups or the like articles, the combination of a plurality of relatively fixed dispenser units disposed in a longitudinal series, each of said respective units having a magazine for holding a supply of articles to be dispensed and means for individually dispensing said articles therefrom, a rotatable actuating shaft common to said series of units and extending lengthwise thereof, cams carried by said shaft corresponding in number to said units for individually operating each of said dispensing means, said cams being radially spaced in equidistant relation about the axis of said shaft, said parts being so constructed and arranged that said units are sequentially operated to thereby dispense individual cups successively from respective units at different stages in the rotative cycle of said shaft, and means for effecting increments of rotation of said shaft corresponding to said stages.

'7. In a multi unit dispensing device having a plurality of dispensing mechanisms each provided with a magazine for cups or the like articles to be dispensed, the combination of driven portions carried by respective of said mechanisms for actuating the same individually and arranged in a longitudinal series, a rotatable actuatin shaft extending lengthwise of said portions and proximate thereto, a plurality of driving connections for said respective driven portions fixed to said shaft in axially and radially spaced relation, said driving connections being so constructed and arranged that they are successively brought into driving position relative to respective of said driven portions upon each complete rotation of said shaft, and mechanism. for effecting rotation of said shaft.

CLIFFORD B. TERRY. 

